GREEK HEARTS

In this version, as in Black Maria each player, before the opening lead is made, passes three cards to his right-hand opponent and receives three from his left-hand opponent.

As in the parent game the penalty cards are the ♠ Q and all cards of the heart suit, and the penalties for winning them are the same; if, however, a player wins all the hearts and the ♠ Q, instead of losing 26 points, he receives 26 points from each of the other players.

The game calls for some considerable skill, because, before passing on his cards, a player has to decide whether he will take the easy road and play to avoid winning penalty cards, or try for the big prize by winning them all.

The decision is never an easy one, because discarding a high heart one may be helping an opponent to a better score, and oneself lose a good score if one receives the ♠ Q and a couple of high hearts from one’s left-hand opponent.

HEARTSETTE

This variation is played in the same way as the parent game, but with a widow hand. If three or four take part in the game the ♠ 2 is removed from the pack, and if five or six take part the full pack is used.

When there are three players, each is dealt 16 cards; when four, 12 cards; when five, ten cards and when six, eight cards. The remaining cards are placed face downwards in the centre of the table.

The player on the left of the dealer leads to the first trick and whoever wins it takes the widow and discards from his hand to reduce it to the proper number of cards. No-one else sees the widow nor the cards that have been discarded.

The play continues in the same way as in the parent game with the same penalty cards and penalties for winning them.

OMNIBUS HEARTS

Also called Hit the moon, this version combines most of the features that have been added to the parent game. Like it, it is at its best when played by four, each playing for himself.

Thirteen cards are dealt to each player, and before the opening lead is made each player passes three cards to his right-hand opponent and receives three from his left-hand opponent.

The play is the same as in the parent game. All the hearts and the ♠ Q are penalty cards, but a novel feature is that the ♦ 10 is a bonus card. A player loses one point for every heart that he wins and 13 points if he wins the ♠ Q.

By contrary, he wins 10 points if he takes the ♦ 10, and if he wins all the hearts, the ♠ Q and the ♦ 10 (known as hitting the moon no longer such a feat as it once was) he wins 26 points instead of losing 16.

The game is won by the player who has the highest plus score, or lowest minus score, when one player reaches a score of 100.The game calls for skill both in discarding to the right-hand opponent and in the play.

Good discarding is dictated by the fact that only the club suit is neutral and harmless. Every heart is a liability and top spades are dangerous (unless adequately supported by low cards) and though top diamonds are advantageous the low ones may be liabilities.

In play it is necessary to aim at forcing the lead into the poker hand of the least dangerous opponent. All the time temporary partnerships must be formed. If the score stands at: North -83, East -41, South + 32, West +47, it is obvious that

West will be doing his best to win the game by driving North to 100 as quickly as possible. A skilful South, therefore, will enter into a tacit partnership with North to try and save him by prolonging the game and so give himself more time to pull ahead of West. The strategy is perfectly proper because both players are acting in their own interests.

PIP HEARTS

This version is played in the same as the parent game, but the ♠ Q is No-Trumps a penalty card and the penalty for winning a heart is increased to the pip value of the card, the court cards counting Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13 and Ace 14.